Learning How to Learn

LearningFuze is a full-immersion, 12-week web development training program that aims to bridge the gap between the growing demand for capable developers and the vast shortage in supply. The bootcamp focuses on JavaScript and PHP. The focus on LAMP stack is directly tied to the need in the marketplace by employer partners. 95% of graduating students that are engaged in the LearningFuze employment search process are finding employment mostly in the Southern California marketplace. The program... (View In-Depth Report)

TJ Kinion, LearningFuze

2018/04/25

What key skill do you need to master coding? Find out with LearningFuze:

As a program that aims to educate people in the world of web development in only 3 months, we are constantly thinking about; what to teach, how to teach it, and how to fit so much information into such a short period of time.

We think about what to teach so we can put our students in the best position to land a job in the local market.

We think about how to teach so that we can reach as wide an audience as possible, while also giving the graduates the confidence to step into a web development role.

And finally, we constantly think about how to fit all of it into just 3 months because as many reading this know, the world of development, let alone IT, is massive.

Along with focusing on the what, how, and when, LearningFuze spends equal time focused on the concept of “learning how to learn.”

The act of learning is defined as; gaining knowledge or understanding of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience.

Traditional education teaches you how to learn, primarily through study, with minimal experience. Our full-immersion coding bootcamp teaches you how to learn through experience supported by study.

Applicants should keep in mind that a good bootcamp is not just one that is going to help get them into a new career, but one that will teach them how to be adaptable in an ever-changing IT environment. This skill should be worked on as early as possible in a program. Start this in prep classes to allow students to discover new material and develop new skills as they desire. As soon as students have the ability to search for information, differentiate between valuable and invaluable data, and translate that to code, they are most certainly on their way to a career of learning.

So what’s the point of learning once I’m out of a bootcamp and have a job? Isn’t this all about the certification?

The main reason why learning how to learn is so important in technology is because technology is constantly evolving. Programs you were using just last year may no longer be relevant to your career. It is imperative that you as an employee can take initiative, problem solve and stay up to date on current industry trends. It keeps you valuable to your team.

Just a few weeks ago we were lucky enough to have Robert Gardner, Google’s Director of Engineering for Analytics, speak to our students. During his presentation on what Google looks for in a new-hire, he said a key factor is “the ability to know how to learn”. In addition to Google, other companies that value a potential employees ability to learn include EVERY SINGLE ONE!

How often do interviewers ask, “So what do you do on the side to keep your development skills polished?” or “When was the last time you learned a new language?” The answer is often. Very often.

Learning goes hand in hand with curiosity. Curiosity not only separates us from other animals but is also what we have to thank for virtually every human achievement and/or discovery.

Knowing how to learn will give you control of your career path. Should you find yourself in a company, development stack, or compensation range that is not where you’d like it to be, YOU have the power to learn something new and make a change. Yes, it may take a few months, but the initiative is key.

Learning is not memorization. It is not a skill that you use once and then bury deep in your brain to collect dust. The ability to learn is something that can be taught and should be taught by any good program.